Bengals Bytes (8/23): Slowly but surely

5 observations/notes from Aug. 22 Bengals practice: LaFell practices again; G/C playing OT
Veteran cornerback Adam Jones and rookie wide receiver Cody Core had a brief altercation during a late 11-on-11 red zone session. Brandon LaFell practiced in full a second day in order to test his injured right hand by participating.

Bengals TE Tyler Eifert jogging for first time since ankle surgery
Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert jogged for the first time since injuring his ankle in the Pro Bowl in January. It was the next step in a long rehab process that followed surgery at the beginning of the summer. Though it’s a big one for Eifert, he was cautiously optimistic on Monday.

Notes: Eifert encouraged; Fisher eyes opener; Quez, Ced on rehab field
Both injured Bengals tight ends planned to have a significant day in their rehabs while their teammates practiced Monday afternoon. Tyler Eifert (ankle) and Tyler Kroft (knee) said they would try to jog outside after running on various apparatus indoors. No timetable has been set at they try to return as close as they can to the Sept. 11 opener in New Jersey against the Jets, but Eifert says the ankle he injured in the Pro Bowl "feels pretty good," and he says he has had no setbacks in his return from May surgery.

Bengals Walkthru: Answering FAQs
Answering FAQs on Tyler Boyd, Brandon LaFell, Brandon Tate and PJ Dawson, plus, a rare throwback jersey, BBP, Nebraska reunion, Dre Kirkpatrick's special cleats and PJ Monday.

AFC North Bytes

Ben Roethlisberger 'wouldn't mind getting hit' in Friday's preseason game
The Pittsburgh Steelers have taken a somewhat obscure approach to the preseason’s first two weeks. Their trio of offensive stars – Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown – have yet to play a single snap this preseason while most teams have played their starters for at least a few series up to this point.

Baltimore Ravens | Final Drive: What To Make Of Breshad Perriman's Return & Other Injury News
The Ravens will bring along Breshad Perriman and Elvis Dumervil slowly, while Matt Elam and Dennis Pitta's futures are up in the air.

Josh Gordon getting 1st team reps and Joe Haden says 'he looks the exact same'
Hue Jackson is witnessing the raw, natural ability of Josh Gordon in practice that some of Gordon's teammates have experienced for years. The Pro Bowl receiver was activated last week, and has only practiced with the team a handful of times. But Gordon is getting reps with the first-team offense and displaying flashes of the talent that enabled him to lead the league with 1,646 yards in 2013.

Random Bytes

Carmelo Anthony's three Olympic golds are solid proof he is an all-time great
Carmelo Anthony wanted to avoid crying on television. He fought hard to accomplish this, but failed miserably. Taking a pause from his NBC interview, backing a bit away from the camera, then leaning forward onto a railing as he resumed speaking — none of this did the job. We knew.

Tuesday NFL training camp preview - Jordy Nelson of Green Bay Packers, Colin Kaepernick of San Francisco 49ers return to practice
NFL Nation assesses what to watch across the league on Tuesday, including what's next for Packers WR Jordy Nelson and 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick, who both returned to practice after injuries.

2016 ESPN NFLRank 100-51 - NFL best greatest players, DeMarcus Ware of Denver Broncos, Tony Romo of Dallas Cowboys
Our panel of 50-plus NFL experts picks the greatest 100 players in the NFL headed into the 2016 season. Who's No. 1? Find out on Wednesday. Here are players 100-51.

Randy Bullock signing: Giants add placekicker, waive Tom Obarski
The New York Giants are signing placekicker Randy Bullock, the team officially announced Monday evening. The Giants waived untested placekicker Tom Obarski to make room for Bullock. Obarski spent 2015 on the Bengals' practice squad.

Cardinals' Nkemdiche practices for first time in camp
Arizona Cardinals first-round draft pick Robert Nkemdiche worked out on a limited basis Monday, the first time he has practiced in training camp. The 6-foot-4, 296-pound defensive tackle has been sidelined with a high ankle sprain since he was injured in rookie camp on July 26, three days before the first regular training camp workout.

Commissioner will have final say over discipline arising from Al Jazeera documentary
Two years ago, as the NFL and NFL Players Association tried to hammer out the details of a new PED policy that would include HGH testing, the NFL insisted on retaining final say over discipline imposed for reasons other than a positive PED test. Eventually, the league got what it wanted.

Antonio Cromartie to Colts
Veteran cornerback Antonio Cromartie reached an agreement Monday with the Indianapolis Colts. The team announced it "agreed to terms" with the cornerback on its website, although it didn't mention the specifics.